Railway track structure and method of making same



C. BURTON, I. K. DIXON, AND S. C. WEEKS. RAILWAY TRACK STRUCTURE ANDMETHOD OF MAKING SAME.

APPLICATION FILED JULYZX, I922.

Patented Oct. 10, 1922.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

C. BURTON, I. K. DIXON, AND S. C. WEEKS. RAILWAY TRACK STRUCTURE ANDMETHOD OF MAKING SAME. APPLICATION FILED JULYZI. 1922.

1 45331 369 Patented 0st. 1M), 1922.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

C. BURTON l. K. DIXON, AND S. C. WEEKS. RAILWAY TRACK STRUCTURE ANDMETHOD OF MAKING SAME.

' APPLICATION FILED IuIY2I. I922.

1,481,369. Patented Oct. 10,1922. z gez 3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

Patented Oct. 10, 1922.

UITEDV srArs CARROLL BURTON, IsnAEnK. mgronjnnnsnmunno. WEEKS, orJoHNsTowN, PENN-V SYLVANIA.

RAILWAY TRACK sTnUoTUnn AND METHOD or MAKING same:

Application filed .ll'uly 21, 1922. Serial No.'576,534.

.To all whom z't-m'ag concern: g

Be it known that we, CARROLL BURTON, IsRnnL K.. DIXON, and SAMUEL C;VVnEKs,

. citizens of the United States, and residents of J ohnstown, in thecounty of Cambria and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Railway Track Structures and Methods ofMaking Same, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to railway track structures and method of makingsame, and more particularly to frogs and crossings constructed of aplurality of rail ends or sectionsanda non-renewable center plate, allunited by a body of cast-metal.

Heretofore in structures of this class it has been the practice to forma central castmetal portion of cast-iron poured in a liquid state, andto form a pocket or recess in the upper face of the cast-metal portion,in which, subsequently, was fitted and secured an intersection center orwear plate of harder metal or steel. Track structures thus constructedwere expensive, the wear or center ,platesbecame loosened, andthe'structure destroyed.

The present invention has for its object the provision of atrackstructure that will be free of the above objections, and one that willgreatly improve the art.

In the drawings, Figure lzis a plan of a switch frog constructed inaccordance with this invention.

Figure 2 is a plan of the center"or wear plate used in the frog ofFigure 1.

Figure 3 is a sectional elevation on the line III-III of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a plan of a crossing structure constructed in accordancewith this invention.

Figure 5 is a plan of the center-or wear plate used in the crossing ofFigure 4.

Figure 6 is an end elevation of the center plate of Figure 5.

Referring particularly to the drawings, the numeral 2 designates theseveral rail sections which are joined to make the track structures bycenter or wear plates 3 and cast-metal connecting portions 4. The plates3 have the usual grooves or wheel ways 5 in their upper. faces, and areprovided with a plurality of downwardly extending lugs 6 havingapertures 7 therein adapted to be embedded in the cast-metal connectingportions 4. The edges of the plates 3 may betapered upwardly asat 8soras to form wedgelike or dovetail'joint with the cast-metal connectingportions 4.

In carrying out this invention, the center or wear plates 3 are firstformed or shaped from alloy steel and are then hardened by heating toapproximately 1550 degrees Fahrenheit, and quenched to harden them beyond the critical hard point for use. The

plates thus formed and the rail sections are positioned in a suitablemold and molten ferrous metal such as iron or steel or semisteel is castin the mold and flows through the apertures in the lugs 6, and aroundthe tapered edgesof the plates and also around the rail sections, thusforming a substantially solid integral structure. The molten metal actsupon the plates 3, as it cools, to soften them. That is, the plateabsorbs sufficient heat from the molten metal to so draw the temper ofthe plate that when the molten mass has cooled the plate will be reducedto the hardness desired for use.

While we have shown only two embodiments of our invention, it will beunderstood that various other embodiments may be made within the scopeof the appended claims.

We claim i 1. The combination with a railway track structure havingintersecting rails, of a nonrenewable steel alloy center plate betweenand connecting said rails, and a ferrous metal base cast around saidcenter plate and said rails after they are assembled to secure saidrails and said plate together.

2. The combination with a railway track structure having intersectingrails, of a nonrenewable steel'alloy center plate between and connectingsaid rails, said center plate being provided with downwardly extendingapertured lugs, and a steel base cast around said center plate and saidrails after they are assembled, said cast steel being adaptedto flowthrough the apertured lugs on said plate, and to form a secure bindingbetween said rails and said plate.

3. The method of forming railway track structures having intersectingrails and a non-renewable center plate, which consists in assembling therails and center plate, and casting ferrous metal around said rails andcenter plate.

4. The method of forming railway track structures having intersectingrails and a non-renewable hard steel alloy center plate, which consistsin forming the steel alloy center plate, hardening the plate beyond thecritical hard point, assembling the rails and center plate, and castinga body of ferrous metal around said plate and rails to join themtogether, said plate absorbing suiiicient heat from east ferrous metalto reduce its hardness and provide a tough Well Wearing plate.

5. The method of forming railway track structures having intersectingrails and a non-renewable hard steel alloy center plate,

which consists in forming the steel alloy center plate, hardening saidplate beyond the degree of hardness desired for said structure byheating said plate to approximately 1550degrees Fahrenheitandquenching-as sembling the rails and center plate, and casting a body offerrous metal around said plate and rails to join them together, saidplate absorbing sufficient heat from said cast ferrous metal to reduceits hardness and provide a tough Well Wearing plate.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands.

CARROLL BURTON. ISRAEL K. DIXON. SAMUEL C. WEEKS.

